


Cygnus

by DoubleMastectomy



Series: Tumblr short fic prompts (February 2021) [1]
Category: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: California (Comics)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Canon, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29277135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoubleMastectomy/pseuds/DoubleMastectomy
Summary: Vinyl and Volume go stargazing.For the prompt "A stolen kiss".
Relationships: Vinyl/Volume (Fabulous Killjoys)
Series: Tumblr short fic prompts (February 2021) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150100
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	Cygnus

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aesmelt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aesmelt/gifts).



> Timeline wise this takes place before the Ultra V’s formed, when it was just these two traveling together.

The campfire crackled as Vinyl tossed their last chopped log into the low red flame. By Volume’s estimates they were getting close to an outpost, a few miles out maybe, so if they were lucky they could pick up more wood tomorrow along with the much needed Powerpup and water. There wasn't much else in this part of the desert as far as resources went. Flat shadows of barren sand dunes trailed ahead silhouetted against the distant aura of Battery City at night, lit up too bright even at these hours. There was no moon overhead to cancel out that glow, but there were stars. Speckling the midnight horizon opposite the City were clusters of stars so overflowing and bright Vinyl could hardly believe them - the way they defied the empty universe Better Living taught its children.

But Volume knew about the stars. He knew about the way they dimmed as you moved towards Zone One. The way they blazed in Zone Six, so vivid on some nights it were as if the sky itself had glowing holy clouds painting upon it.

(Volume couldn’t wait to show the Zone Six sky to Vinyl in person.)

Volume knew about the constellations too. Often, he’d point to three stars in a row and explain to Vinyl how that was the image of a great killjoy’s holster. Or, he’d point to a cluster of stars and excitedly tell the story of the seven droids. Vinyl never really understood any of it, complaining that anyone could connect any of the heavenly bodies and make up any old story, but still he’d listen regardless, spending more time watching Volume’s smile than the stars he pointed at.

As the campfire settled, Vinyl settled as well, beside Volume in a half-zipped sleeping bag under a half-pitched tarp. Around their incomplete roof, Volume gazed at the sky and drew Vinyl close with a warm one armed hug.

“Look over there,” Volume whispered to him, “Those four stars - then another below that one. Do you see them?”

Vinyl leaned into him, his hand resting over Volume’s chest, and searched the sky. There were many more than five stars and they all looked the same to him, but Vinyl nodded anyway, pleading Volume to continue.

“That’s the Swan,” he said, “A sort of ancient prehistoric bird. They were big and walked over land like animals and had these long sharp teeth in their mouths. This one, there, was friends with the Sun. And the Swan loved the Sun so much that one day he flew up as high as he could to follow the Sun as it rode across the sky... until a thunderstorm rolled in. Because of all the lightning and rain and wind, he fell from the sky and died. Dusted on impact.

At the loss of his friend, the Sun grieved, burning everything in a sudden drought that lasted months, or more. Suddenly everyone was praying for clouds and rain more desperately than ever before until the Witch finally heard their pleas and investigated. When she found out what happened, she felt bad for the Sun, so she put the Swan’s ghost up in the sky. So the Swan and the Sun would never have to be apart again. And that’s where the constellation came from.”

Vinyl looked at it again, trying to see this mythical bird, expecting its image to pop out any moment now if only he found the right angle. It was pretty. But it was only stars. He pressed closer to Volume under the covers, the night air chilling and the fire only smoldering embers by now, and he quietly hummed his approval of Volume's story.

Volume was quiet now too. Only the desert made noise with its dry breathy song of wind over the sand, caught up in miniature dust storms before trickling back down again. It was soothing, the world cradling them in her palms. Vinyl looked at Volume, who was still focused on stargazing, and a sudden emotion took hold of him so that for the first time in his life he understood what would drive a bird to fly or push a sun to morn.

He felt too safe to overthink what he'd do next as he planted a quick but gentle kiss to Volume’s soft cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> I adapted the mythos for world building reasons (post-apocalyptic word of mouth changed the stories a bit), but the three constellations mentioned in this fic were Orion's Belt, Pleiades, and Cygnus.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!


End file.
